Envelope opener



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June 9," 1925. i 1,541,155 F. N. KRoEsEN ENvELoPE QPENER Filed JulyI 241924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwumfto/a A amm,

Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES 'FRANK N. KRonsEN, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA,

ENVELOPE OPENER.

Application filed July 24, 1924. Serial No. 728,012.

p Opener, of which the following is a, specification.

This invent-ion relates to new and useful improvements in envelope.openers and has for its principal object to provide a simple andefficient device for slitting onerof the edges of a sealed envelope inorder to remove the contents thereof without teaiging the contentsthereof as frequently happens p in opening a sealed envelope by hand.v

A further object of the inventionV is to provide an envelope opener ofthe above mentioned character, wherein means is provided for clampingthe envelope so'that the.

same will be maintained in proper position while one edge thereof isbeing slit. additional means being provided for releasing theclampingmeans after the envelope has been slit., i

A further object of the invention is to provide an envelope opener ofthe above mentioned character, which is of such construction as toenable a person to open letters or the like expeditiously and in such amanner as not to sever any portion of the contents of the sealedenvelope. j A further object of the vinvention is to provide an envelopeopener of the above y mentioned character, `which is simple inconstruction, inexpensive, strong and dura@ ble and furthermore adaptedfor vthe purposes for which it is designated.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals designate like parts throughout the same Figure l isa top plan view of my improved envelope opener'.

Figure. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a transverse sectiontaken approximately on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4L is a bottom plan view of the carriage. j

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the carriage showing the mannerin` which the rotary cutter is mounted thereon, and

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the stop plate. y Y

In tliedrawing wherein for. the purpose. of illustration is shown thepreferred ein! bodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designatesgene-rally the base of my improved envelope open'er and the same has itsside and end langesdepending therefrom so that the base will be spacedfrom a table or the like upon which 'the same is placed. The base ispreferably constructed of pressed metal although any other suitablematerial may be substituted therefor and I do not wish to limit myselfto the particular kind of material to be used. The base Vl is providedwith a longitudinally extending slot 2 adjacent the forwardrlongitudi'nal edgeof the base and the purpose thereof will hereinafterbe more fully described. Secured on the base 1 and extendinglongitudinally thereon adjacent the forward "longi'tudinal edge thereofis the stationary cutter blade and the cutting edge @thereof is disposeddirectly adjacent one of thelongi Atudinal edges of the slot 2 in themanner more clearly illustra-ted in Figure 3 ofthe drawings. Thesecuring means for the stationary cutter blade 3 is shown at 5.

Fivotally supported between the upstanding brackets 6 and 7 respectivelymounted on the base l adjacent. the ends ofthe sta- 'tionary-cutterblade 3 is the envelope clamping plate 8. The clamping plate 8 isdispose-d adjacent the cuttingedge 4 and the slot 2 andthe purposethereof will also here-v A nut 11 is threadedon the lower yend ofAdapted for slidable movementon the Y base `i isthe carriage designa-tedgenerally by the numeral 13. The carriage has an leX- tension leprovided on thelower portion thereof which operates within a suitableslot 15 provided in 'the basel and which extends longitudinally adjacentthe intermediate portion of the base. The longitudinal edges of the slot15 on the under side of the base 1 have the longitudinally extendingribs 16 and 17 formed thereon and the purpose thereof is to provide ameans for cooperation with the upwardly disposed ends 18 and 19respectively. The plate 20 which is secured to the bottom of theextension 14 by any suitable fastening means such as is illustrated at21. rlhis construction enables the carriage to be slidably supported onthe base and against accidental disengagement therefrom and from theslot 15.

The carriage 13 is provided at its forward end with the enlarged head 22and the central portion of the carriage has extending upwardly therefromthe handle portion 23. Y

The carriage is further provided with a longitudinally extending recesswhich terminates at a point adjacent the rear 'end thereof and the sameis illustrated. at 24k` in the drawings. Supported in the recess 24C isthe shaft 25, the forward end of which extendsA beyond the forward faceof the carriage and rotatably supports thereon the rotary cutter 26. Theinner end of the shaft 25 is reducedV as illustrated at 27 andencircling Vthe reduced port-ion ofthe shaft 25 is the coil spring 28.One end of the coil spring abuts the shoulder formed on the sha-ft 25while the opposite end of the spring engages the inner wall of therecess 211 in the manner more clearly illustrated in Figure 5 ofthedrawings.

The lower portion of the forward enlarged head 22 of the carriage 13 iscut away as yillustrated at 29 and secured on the out away portion 29and extending laterally from the carriage is the `finger 30,- theoutwardly projecting end of which .is reduced and slightly beveled andthe purpose thereof will hereinafter be more fully described. Extendingover the forward end of the carriage and removably supported on theenlarged head thereof is the guard 31, the same acting asa protector forthe rotary cutter blade 26, it being also understood thatv the guard 31is cut away at its lower portion to cooperate Y with the cut away lowerportion of the enlarged head of the carriage, The rotary cutter 26 isadapted to operate in the slot 2 and `cooperates with the cutting edge4: of the stationary cutter blade 3 when the device is in use as will behereinafter more fully i described.

Secured to the under side of the base 1 adjacent the slot 2 andextending longitudinally thereon is the plate 32 and the same has itsforward edge bent upwardly to pro-y vide a stop flange 33 and thisflange extends upwardly within the slot 2 and directly behind the rotarycutter f 26 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 3.

The use of my improved envelope opener may be briefly stated as followsA sealed letter is inserted beneath the clamping plate 8 so that theedge to be slit engages the stop flange 83. The carriage beingpositioned at one end of the slot` 15 is then moved longitudinally onthe base kby means of the handle portion 23 and as the carriage movesalong on the base, the rotary knife or cutter blade 26 cooperating withthe stationary cutter blade 3 will slit the edge of the envelope in auniform manner, it being understood of course that the clamping plate 8is normally under the'tension of the coil spring 12 holds the envelopein proper position on the base in order to slit one ofthe edges thereofwithout cutting or otherwise -severing the contents of the envelope.

When the carriage has traveled the full length of the slot 15, thefinger 30 carried by the cut away portion 29 on the forward end of thecarriage will have its beveled free end engaging the extension 9,causing the' latter to move upwardly against the tension of the coilspring and releasing the clamping plate 8 from engagement with theenvelope where by the latter may be readily and easily removed after thesame has had one of its edges slit. Vhen the linger is disengaged fromthe projection 9 or extension formed on one end of the clamping plate,the latter will resume its normal position and will be in a positionready to receive another envelope which isto have one ofits edges slit.

The provision of an envelope opener of `the above mentioned character,will enable vthat various changes in the size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is An envelope openercomprising a base having a longitudinal opening therein, a stationarycutter blade on said base, the cutting edge'thereof being disposedadjacent said opening, a clamping plate mounted on said base and adaptedto hold anenvelope in position on the base, a stop for the edfre of theenvelope to be slit, a carriage slidab e on the base, and a rotarycutter carried by the carriage, said rotary cutter disposed in saidopening and cooperating with the cutting edge of the stationary cutterblade in slitting der tension, and a linger projecting laterally theedge of an envelope, means for releasing iroin the carriage and adaptedto engage the the clamping plate from engagement with extension afterthe edge of the envelope has 10 the en velope, said means comprising aneX- been slit and the carriage has traveled the 5 tension formed on oneend of the clamping tull length of the opening.

plate, n'ieans associated with the extension ln testimony whereof I aiXmy signature. for normally holding the clamping plate un- FRANK N.KROESEN.

